Acura Returns for Another Year of Celebrating Music and Arts at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival

Acura marks its 19th year as a sponsor of the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, continuing the brand's passionate support of the musical heritage of New Orleans. Acura also is the presenting sponsor and official automotive partner of Shorty Fest, the major fundraiser for the Trombone Shorty Foundation, on Thursday, May 3.

Acura will continue the tradition of hosting legendary musicians on The Acura Main Stage, or "Acura Stage," at this year's Jazz Fest, including Sting, Jimmy Buffet, Lionel Richie, Aerosmith, and Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue. Festival attendees also will have the opportunity to visit the Acura Product Experience tent, where the brand's full model lineup will be on display, as well as have the chance to win access to the exclusive Acura VIP Lounge and Acura Side Stage Passes. The exclusive Acura VIP Lounge is open both weekends – April 28-29th and May 5-6th.

"Music has always been an important component of the Acura brand and we are excited to return to New Orleans to support the incredible musicians and unique musical culture of this city," said Jon Ikeda, vice president & general manager of Acura. "We are honored to continue our work with Troy 'Trombone Shorty' Andrews and his foundation to perpetuate New Orleans' musical heritage through education, performance and mentorships."

Acura continues to work and collaborate with Troy "Trombone Shorty" Andrews, an iconic singer, songwriter, bandleader, and founder of the Trombone Shorty Foundation (www.tromboneshortyfoundation.org). Through the foundation's largest fundraiser of the year, Shorty Fest, Acura supports Trombone Shorty and his passion to empower New Orleans youth to succeed as professional musicians, and contribute to the perpetuation of the legendary sounds of the city. This year's Shorty Fest will take place May 3 at the House of Blues New Orleans.

Acura and Music

Music is important to the Acura brand, not only through its sponsorship of the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, but in the in-product experience it provides to Acura drivers. The latest example is the 2019 Acura RDX, which made its world debut at the 2018 New York International Auto Show. The 2019 Acura RDX features available the award-winning Panasonic ELS Studio 3D™ premium audio, delivering incredible range and a whole new listening experience with four roof-mounted speakers. The ELS Studio 3D™ audio was developed by Acura and Panasonic and tuned by Grammy-winning music producer, Elliot Scheiner.

Acura also incorporates music to enhance the energy and emotion in the brand's marketing campaigns. Most recently, the 2018 Acura RLX featured the iconic American musician, James Brown and his song "Super Bad" served as the soundtrack to the campaign.

The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival begins Friday, April 27 and runs through Sunday, May 6. For the full lineup of artists and more information on the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, visit www.nojazzfest.com.

For More Information

Consumer information is available at http://www.acura.com. To join the Acura community on Facebook, visit http://www.facebook.com/acura. Additional media information including high-resolution photography is available at acuranews.com/channels/acura-automobiles.

About Acura

Acura is a leading automotive luxury nameplate that delivers Precision Crafted Performance, representing the original values of the Acura brand – a commitment to evocative styling, high performance and innovative engineering, all built on a foundation of quality and reliability.

The Trombone Shorty Foundation, founded by musician Troy "Trombone Shorty" Andrews in 2013, preserves and perpetuates the distinct musical heritage of New Orleans through music instruction, performance, business education, mentorship, and real-life experience – as part of a time-honored tradition to cultivate a vibrant community through music and tradition. Since launching, the foundation has grown from serving 15 students to 70 per year, preparing aspiring musicians from underserved New Orleans communities for success in music and life, moving the city's culture forward and teaching real-world skills for success in the music industry. Shorty Fest, the foundation's largest annual fundraiser, is a major draw during Jazz Fest week, and is known for featuring up and coming bands and showcasing the talents of the Academy students. Learn more at tromboneshortyfoundation.org.